


Unstable

by CrisisExceed



Series: Random prompt ideas [4]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst, Domestic Violence, Drama, Half Kayfabe, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Trigger Warining, Unrequited Love, half not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-04 22:20:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15850563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrisisExceed/pseuds/CrisisExceed
Summary: Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were the two inseparable best friends that were always there for one another.When Seth blamed himself for Dean getting hurt, Roman tried to pick up the pieces as fast as he could before his best friend could fall apart completely. Queue Jason Jordan who beat the Big Dog to it. It was only then that Roman began to realize that he saw Seth as more than just a little brother...but perhaps he had realized too late.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright pay no mind to the crap summary. >.>; I'm honestly no good at them for some reason. 
> 
> So this fic is a lot darker than the fluffy romance I usually write, it also ended up a lot longer than I thought it was gonna be. So what was originally supposed to be a one shot became two. *shrug* So just so we're clear though, I gotta repeat that there is a underlying trigger warning theme here. So if you're easily triggered by domestic violence you probably shouldn't read it. Also this story is gonna seem face paced, but only in the beginning it slows down significantly eventually. 
> 
> With not much else to say other than the usual disclaimers of I don't own any of the characters here...
> 
> Enjoy! :D

_Unstable_

Seth Rollins was his best friend.

Every thought about the younger male boiled down to that simple statement. Roman would do anything for the brunet. If Seth had asked him to rip the sky down, then he’d find a way to do it. That was just how devoted he was to The Architect, and he knew that Seth had shared the same feeling. 

When they fought they’d make up for it later admitting who was right and who was wrong. When they got too drunk the other was always made sure one they were sober enough to take care of him. When they were down, the other was always there to be the willing ear. Roman and Seth were practically inseparable. Even if they were in separate programs on screen, they still somehow managed to immerse one another into their storylines. Being the flexible high flyer that Seth was, he was able to help Roman through some difficult spots to later use live events, and eventually on screen. With Roman’s strength it helped the smaller male to keep on his toes by being able to be tossed around and maintain his cat-like agility. 

As long as Seth was smiling, Roman was too. 

Eventually they had brought Dean back into the fold and the trio were ecstatic that their brotherhood was back together. It felt as if nothing changed between the three of them and their chemistry was better than ever. That was why it felt right when they decided to get the band back together. They’re goal was the run the yard together and remind everyone who the futures of the business truly were. It gave them and the fans a feel good moment and a memory to cherish forever. The smile on Seth’s face had grown even wider, he was so proud to be by his brothers’ sides. 

Of course nothing lasts forever…

Later on that year Roman would be hit with the same bug that hit poor Bo Dallas and their lovely ring announcer Jojo. Being at home alone practically killed The Big Dog as he knew that he wasn’t there to be by brothers’ side. The oldest of the trio dreaded that the only time he’d be able to see Dean or Seth’s smiling face was through video chat. Roman already hated sitting still, on top of that he was all alone and relied on Dean to keep Seth safe and happy. Although the middle brother was more than happy to do so, he still felt a pang of guilt because he felt that to be his job. He was the oldest, he was the one meant to take care of them. Luckily Roman hadn’t been out long and they were able to carry on their storyline with The New Day at Survivor Series as planned.

Why had The Shield been stricken with such bad luck? That was the question Roman asked himself again and again as Dean was taken away in an ambulance in the middle of a RAW taping. It hurt to know that Dean had already been holding back on letting everyone know about the nagging injury in his right arm. On top of that, the Lunatic Fringe covered it up by wearing that long black sleeve and elbow pad, when he hadn’t been know to wear protective gear in the first place. Roman knew Dean was trying to push through it all, but without the proper amount of rest, he had broken. His middle brother’s iron man streak was over, and it just so ended in the same match Seth was in.

**~~~***~~~**

Gone was Seth’s smile. The first night they had learned of Dean’s injury he remembered seeing his youngest brother huddled in a corner in the locker room softly sobbing and blaming himself for what happened. “I couldn’t protect him Ro,” said Seth in between sobs. The words had torn through Roman like a hot knife through butter. That night Seth had cried himself to sleep in the ride back to the hotel. The oldest took care of Seth, as he was devoted to. He had carried The Architect’s sleeping form up to the hotel room, and then took care of their bags.

But that was only the beginning…

Roman watched helplessly as his youngest brother began to dwindle. Seth was like a candle ready to burn out but desperately holding on to the last sliver of flames it had. Dean didn’t blame him for what happened. They all knew it was just the dangers of their business...so why was he so harsh on himself? Seth knew what the people were saying about him, and how they thought of him to be an unsafe worker, but it wasn’t like The Architect to give into that kind of propaganda. The words dwelled on Roman every night of the week he held Seth close as the younger male had cried himself to sleep.

The oldest was watching his best friend crash and burn. He knew Seth wasn’t sleeping well, and it showed in his matches at the live events. Roman knew his younger brother’s moves well enough to know when he was doing them sloppy. Luckily...they weren’t sloppy enough for the roaring fans to notice. They cheered Seth at the top of their lungs and still left happy. The only one who wasn’t leaving happy was the man himself. On the last night of the tour, Seth was told he wouldn’t be competing for the rough shape he had looked to be in. If The Architect couldn’t take care of himself, how could he take care of his co-worker in the ring? For art and immersion to work, both men (and women) had to work in sync through the entire match. To management, Seth looked like he seen the seventh circle of hell and back, and to Roman...they were right. 

Roman gave management a reassurance and went home with Seth that week to keep an eye on him and made sure he got some rest. On the first night in Seth’s home, he had slept through the entire night after crying himself to sleep once more, but thankfully it was the last night he had sobed. The next morning the oldest had been up first to order breakfast for the two of them, so they could relax. Once Seth was up he had spent almost the entire day play video games and showing the get well texts he was getting from their co-workers.

There was one in particular that stood out to him however that stuck a small jealousy chord in the raven haired man. _“I hope you are resting well, once you get back I’d like to take you out to coffee sometime.”_ Roman snorted at the smiley face that was at the end of the text. He wondered when Seth had started speaking to Jason Jordan anyway. Other than their love for football, he wasn’t sure if the two of them had anything else in common. But in reality, why did he care? Seth was his best friend but he was still his own man. The Architect could hang out with whomever he wants, and Roman shouldn’t have a say. Perhaps he was just jealous that Seth would rather hang out with someone other than him was all. 

That had to be it, Roman Reigns wasn’t the jealous type…

“Should I?” asked Seth leaning back on the plush gray colored couch while taking a huge gulp of water from the plastic bottle that had been sitting on the coffee table. Roman tore his eyes away from the TV to gaze into the beautiful chocolate colored orbs of his best friend. They held genuine curiosity, like he was actually considering take Jason up on his offer. When ever Seth was unsure he'd always turn to Roman for advice. 

Roman remembered Seth's last relationship was with Dean. The two had an sweet attraction to one another and decided give it a shot thanks to the oldest’s advice. However it didn't work out for them in the end as the two still saw one another as brothers rather than partners. Dean and Seth decided they wanted to keep what they had as it wasn't broken to begin with. Since then he saw that The Architect hadn't really shown interest in anyone and focused more on his career. So it really did peak Roman's interest when he saw that Seth was considering Jason's offer. 

He started with a short huff followed by a shrug. “Do what you want, I'm not your keeper.” said Roman sarcastically. Although his words sounded harsh, he knows that Seth would quickly pick up on his jab.

“Ya think so?” asked the younger just trying to double take on what the Samoan said.

Roman collected Seth in his arms for a loose but loving hug allowing the brunet to rest his head on his shoulder, “As long as you're happy, uce.” The two of them just sat there in one another's warmth, not only shielding one another from Iowa’s unforgiving winter but as two close friends who cared for each other's happiness.

**~~~***~~~**

The following Monday the older brother stifled a laughter as Seth sat on his bed with his leg bouncing up and down in anticipation. Both men knew that it had been a while since the brunet went on a date, and now Seth had been acting like a teeanger constantly looking at his phone every minute to keep himself occupied. As the younger man was preoccupied with his phone, for what felt like the twentieth time in the last 5 minutes, there was a loud knock at the door startling and causing him to jump a little. The raven haired man held back another laugh seeing the nervous look on Seth’s face as he went to answer the door. Much to younger’s dismay and older’s amusement, it was just the room service delivering Roman’s lunch, since Seth’s coffee outing became a full on lunch date.

Once Roman had taken the food and gave the delivery man a hefty tip, he gave his attentions back to Seth who was giving him the biggest death glare possible. If looks could kill the oldest would have been assassinated and then some with the look he was receiving. It had only caused him to release all the laughter he had been holding back for the last hour or so. He had only calmed when another knock was heard and this time Seth went to go answer rolling his eyes as he past his older brother on the way. Roman only snickered some more. He loved teasing Seth. Before disappearing because his date arrived he watched as the younger brother looked back at him one last time to stick his tongue out like a small child. 

Little did Roman know, that letting his best friend walk away with Jason would be the biggest mistake of his life…

Seth had arrived at the arena an hour before the show, and being the nosy older brother that he was immediately after spotting his best friend showered him in questions about his date. The grin that the younger held was large and the way he talked it was obvious he was on cloud nine. Roman once more felt his heart crumple just a little bit as the brunet talked about where they went, and how Jason was making him laugh. His best friend was smiling all over again, and that was good enough for him. Roman just observed him realizing that maybe Jason could be the one to add fuel to that flickering flame to the candle that was Seth.

“Go for it,” said Roman firmly cutting off his younger brother’s rant. Seth just looked up at him with curious brown eyes trying to read his expression. He chuckled patting the brunet on the shoulder. “Boy heard me...go get him. You deserve to be happy Seth, and it sounds like you two hit it off well.” The brunet only responded with a small giggle. 

It hadn’t even been a week and already the word spread like mad between both the men and women’s locker rooms of both brands to find out that Seth and Jason had begun dating. It also didn’t help that his sometimes hopeless younger brother didn’t even bother to try and hide it. Roman watched from afar as Seth gave into all of Jason’s sweet nothings and small touches. The former half of American Alpha certainly was handy, and The Architect just let it all happen. 

Everything happened too fast for Roman’s liking. The on going word reached the writers and saw it as a perfect opportunity to try the same planned storyline with Seth only with Jason in Dean’s place. The thought scared him. He knew that even though his friend was smiling, Seth still probably wasn’t the most emotionally stable, and here was their management practically shoving the two of them together. There were so many things wrong with the scenario but knew he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. He cared about Seth, but he had to think of his own career too. He could only watch from afar and hope that Jason could protect Seth or at least his younger brother could at least protect himself. 

In their show on Sunday, Jason and Seth tagged together to test out their chemistry and showed no lumps in their flowing style. It was mesmerizing to Roman to see two athletes who haven't worked much together to flow so smoothly. To how great they got started to see how well they worked together in the ring, Roman really started to believe that Jason Jordan may just be the one for Seth. After returning behind the curtain he congratulated the two of them for a great match and gave the two of them their space. Roman’s heart sank as he watched the two of them give one another a lengthy hug followed by Seth throwing his arms over Jason’s shoulders for a short but loving kiss. 

The Samoan walked away with a slight smile and half a scowl. What was wrong with him? Seth was happy, he should be happy for him. His mind threw every bad scenario at him which only frustrated him more. Once away from the public eye he punched the closest wall to him which solved nothing but causing him pain and broken skin on his knuckles. He decided to forgo a shower and decided he’d do it back when he was in his hotel room. He needed distance from the place as soon as possible.

**~~~***~~~**

The next RAW just as planned the two had won the tag titles, and celebrated by going out on yet another date. Roman got to hear all about it the next morning in a series of text messages. They had only been going out for a week, and already Seth was rooming with his new boyfriend. The older man scrubbed his face with his palms still thinking about how uncomfortable he was with how fast his little brother rushed into the relationship. The other half of his mind had to remind him that Seth was a fully capable adult who could make his own decisions. The Samoan knew that if he intervened it would certainly damage his friendship. He trusted Seth. He trusted the man enough to know that it was okay to come to him if something was wrong. It didn’t stop Seth in the past so why would he stop now?

From there on it was silence from Seth’s end throughout the week. The only real messages he got from Seth were just the text telling him good morning and to have a good day. He was thankful his younger brother hadn’t completely cut off communication. The raven haired man just saw it as his best friend enjoying his new relationship and title reign. 

Without Dean or even his cousins Roman felt lonely. He hadn’t realized just how empty he felt without Seth. He was supposed to be happy that his best friend was, but now what he was gonna do? A thought came to mind and he instantly dismissed it. He loved Seth like a younger brother, but didn’t love him in the sicking way he and Jason looked at one another. _“Why me?”_ he thought. It was just his luck that as these thoughts floated around his head, the same man whom he couldn’t get off his mind was asking him to hang out tomorrow after the show. Instantly Roman agreed. 

He knew he was in for an emotion ride, he just hoped he wouldn’t drag Seth down with him...

When Seth walked into the arena with aviator sunglasses on a day where sunset was very early, all eyes especially Roman’s were drawn to him. It was then he noticed something was extremely off with Seth. Normally his best friend would approach him and give him a quick hug even if he was in a hurry. But this time the brunet cracked a small smile and wave at him from a distance. Roman smiled and waved back only to see that Jason had stepped in front of him blocking his view of Seth. The dark skinned man’s unusual behavior didn’t go unnoticed by The Big Dog either. 

Roman saw Jason look over his shoulder to shoot him a glare before tugging on Seth’s arm. What looked the most off to him was that the brunet looks like he was trying to wrench his arm out of the other man’s grip. He got up off the production box he was sitting on with the want to give the little punk a piece of his mind when his attentions were suddenly caught by a producer’s assistant. He dismissed the kid for a moment to see if Seth was still there but they were gone. Roman missed his chance. Returning his attentions back to the intern, he noticed the kid was quaking a little. The Samoan often prided himself on being able to keep his emotions in check, but when his anger flared it showed deeply.

**~~~***~~~**

Worried, disgruntled, and now straight up annoyed after talking circles in the production truck, the Samoan had just enough time to get dressed in time to get out and get his promo done to open the show. Just what kind of a hectic day was he in for? He hoped seeing his best friend after the show would make it all better.

On his way back to the locker room, Roman could have sworn he heard shouting followed by what sounded like someone slapping another person. With his mind racing the raven haired man turned his slow walk into a brisk pace only to come across the private locker room requested by Jordan himself. Roman sighed deeply, hoping it wasn’t what he thought. He lifted his hand to knock on the door a few times before waiting for someone to answer. He hadn’t seen either man in the halls so he assumed they were both there. 

Just when Roman was about to knock again someone called through on the other side. “Who is it?” The Samoan rolled his eyes when he heard it was Jason answering. 

He took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. It seemed that the darker skinned man had no intention to answering the door which again lit sirens up in Roman’s mind. “I just wanted to know if everything is okay, and to see if I could talk to Seth maybe.” 

“Everything is fine he’s just getting ready for his match. Thanks for your concern though.” The raven haired man couldn’t help but give a loud huff especially to how insincere Jason was sounding. Why wasn’t Seth speaking? He knew that the brunet hated it when people spoke for him. Something was severely wrong, and the Samoan was gonna get to the bottom of it. 

“Just tell Seth, I look forward to hanging out with him tonight,” finished Roman before sighing and walking off. The Samoan had already figured out that Jason didn’t have the nerve to talk to him. It only said that Seth’s new boyfriend was a total coward. He shook in anger before walking off, but he couldn’t help but wonder: Why would his younger brother let it happen? What if it was all in Roman’s head because of the jealousy he had.

**~~~***~~~**

Not only had Roman been waiting at the late night coffee shop, he was horrified to see the reason why his best friend had come in the arena wearing sunglasses. Seth sat down in the booth across from him with a sigh. He took time to observe the state the younger man was in. His normally tanned skin was looking a little pale, as he had dark circles under his eyes, and particularly his left eye also sporting a nasty looking black eye. The way Seth slumped it was obvious he was exhausted, and no doubt the live show left him drained even more.

The Samoan tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for an explanation as to why he looked the way he did and why he was late as well. But his best friend just sat there breathing in and out, like he was trying to get his body to relax. Seth’s body was trembling as goosebumps formed on his arms as he shivered. He looked no different than he had two weeks ago when Roman had escorted him home to Iowa. The silence rung heavy around them and the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. 

“What happened?” he asked giving attention to the younger man’s black eye. Roman tried not to lace his voice with anger. If what was happened to Seth was true, he had no reason to be angry at brunet. But he needed Seth to tell him here, or he’d have to catch Jason in the act. Roman flinched seeing the nasty bruise around his wrist as well. Like someone had held it tightly and he had struggled. If seeing the state the younger man didn’t confirm his suspicions then he had to be the most oblivious man on the planet. 

He watched as Seth shivered again and his face contort with fear. The Architect reached up and graced the bruise over with his fingertips like he was reliving the horrifying memory of how he got it. Roman couldn’t help but reach over and lightly brushed his fingertips over Seth’s other hand that remained on the table. There was something about the gesture that sent an electric spark through him. Looking back up he noticed Seth was smiling again. But it wasn’t genuine, it was fake...it was something to keep the Samoan from worrying. 

“We were practicing some spots before we came to the arena. I accidentally leaned too far into a hit, and he got me right in the eye.” It was a lie. He could see it in Seth’s eyes, he was averting his gaze as the lie came through his teeth. But if Seth was willing to forwardly lie to him it was all the proof Roman needed, to want to try and save his best friend from the clutches of a very sinister man. 

Roman opened his mouth to ask another question when both their attentions were caught by the sounds of Seth’s phone receiving a text. He once more observed as the younger man looked reluctant to answer the text, and looked even more distraught after a long sigh. “I gotta get going, Ro. Looks like Jason wants to hit the road early tomorrow.” 

Seth hesitantly slid out of the booth, with Roman quickly getting up after him. He reached out to cup the younger man’s who just stood there in silence. The older tilted his head a little catching a glimpse what looked like to be another bruise on Seth’s collarbone, hidden by his shirt. The younger looked like he wanted to lean into the touch and pulled his face away instead. “I’ll be fine.” he said with that fake smile. “Good night Roman.” 

And with that he just let Seth walk away, leaving him seething...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman's rage is over boiling...he just needs a little help to get his head on straight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah yeah, I said this was gonna be a two shot but I lied. Anyone who knows me knows I hate short chapters...but I had to cut this chapter off the way it did. I just loved how the chapter flowed and I felt like adding more would have ruined the whole thing. 
> 
> Also if words are **bold** it's the character thinking, and _italicized_ are people talking over the phone. (Just so no one is confused  >.>; )
> 
> Enjoy! :D

Roman spent a lot of the short time before heading out hovering over both Dean and Seth’s names in his phone. If he called Dean, there would be no doubt that he’d worry about not being there to help and probably do something reckless further injuring himself. He was afraid to call Seth, just knowing how much control Jason already had over him. He also couldn’t risk angering Jason and getting Seth hurt again. 

**“Think! You useless bastard!”** screamed the Samoan innerly to himself. Who could he call that could help keep an eye on the two of them and fly under the radar. Who was someone that was well liked by everyone and seem practically harmless--a light bulb went off in his head. He quickly scrolled over the name in his phone before stopping on the perfect candidate.

_“Hey Big Dog!”_ Roman couldn’t help but chuckle at Bayley’s beaming voice. Both on and off the screen she was such a ball of joy and great to be around. She was friendly to everyone, and in turn everyone loved her back. A fantastic performer, a hard worker, and someone who was already close to Seth before Jason Jordan got involved. He could hear Sasha’s and Alicia’s voices in the background, which told him she was probably having breakfast with some of the other girls before heading out to the next town. Hopefully he wouldn’t take up too much of her time. 

_“Hey Bayley, I know this is really sudden so I’ll try and be quick.”_ He paused for a moment to her the other woman’s hum in interest. _“Have you--”_

_“Have I noticed the changes in Seth ever since he started dating Jason?”_ she said quickly cutting him off, as if she knew what he was gonna say. _“Sasha, Alicia, and I were just talking about it. It’s not like him to just stop talking to everyone. It’s like he’s kinda like the only person he wants to give his undivided attention to is his new boyfriend.”_ Roman almost sighed in relief that he wasn’t the only one with suspicions. He remembered that both Sasha and Bayley were also pretty close to Seth, and when he wasn’t around or tired as hell they were his go to friends when he wanted someone to hang out with. But he hadn’t been speaking with even the girls which meant slowly Jason was also cutting Seth off from his friends. 

Not wanting to blow Bayley’s ear off with the scream he’d been holding in, he only let out a short groan. If the Samoan had it his way he’d be tearing Jordan limb from limb already and holding Seth close. 

_“Seth isn’t talking to me either,”_ that earned a gasp from Bayley. She knew just how inseparable they used to be, so this was probably all news to her as well. _“Just help keep an eye on him for me. Seth is determined to keep me at arms length.”_

_“Of course! I’ll let you be the first to know if I notice anything.”_ she responded cheerfully. The two shared quick goodbyes as they knew they had to get on the road.

Stuffing his phone in his jeans and getting his jacket and scarf on he left to go find his ride for the day, Finn Bàlor. Where he found the Irish man a joy to be around, he wasn’t Seth. His mind stuck on his best friend that he was slowly but surely falling in love with. He tried not to show it on his face as he walked to the small SUV that they had rented where Finn was already waiting. The smaller man looked bright and beaming as he did every day, and it almost hurt that everyone around him was so cheerful. Just the one person he wanted happy clearly wasn’t. Knowing he wasn’t in the right mindset, he let Finn drive them to the next town for their house show.

**~~~***~~~**

About an hour into the drive Roman had been fading in and out of conversation with Finn. Where he was certainly getting to know the man Irishman, Seth’s words echoed in his head. The image of his fake smile burned into his mind. The Samoan felt like such an idiot for letting Seth go back to that man. How did things escalate so quickly between the two of them?

Roman let out a huge sigh that didn’t go unnoticed by the man behind the wheel. He tried to dismiss Finn since he didn’t really feel like talking about it, but he had forgotten what kind of a determined person the Irishman really was. Finn prodded him again not wanting the tension to run thick between the two of them. They didn’t hang out much but it didn’t stop him from considering Roman a friend. Finn started with his own sigh, “Look Roman, I know we don’t talk much...but I’m willing to be an ear if you need one.” 

Roman finally gave his undivided attention to Finn raising an eyebrow. Well it was better than having the two of them sit in silence. “Have you ever been in love?” he asked quietly, sounding almost timid. Which was severely unlike the Big Dog at all. He was a leader of the locker room after all and always spoke with some sort of authority backed behind his voice. To hear how scared he sounded was another shocker to Finn on top of the question itself. Unless it came to family, he didn’t really like talking about himself that much. 

“Can’t say that I have, but it doesn’t keep me from entertaining the idea,” Finn replied with a shrug. Roman let out another huge groan. He can’t believe he was about to spill his guts to the Irishman. The Samoan began speaking telling him everything about how he was jealous of Seth’s relationship opting out all the details of his suspicions of what was happening behind closed doors. “That’s adorable!” exclaimed the Irishman when Roman finished. “There’s no doubt about it Big Dog...you are in love with Rollins. Just don’t see it as a bad thing. There might even be a chance that he sees you the same way.” 

Finn hit the nail on the head, and Roman felt like a complete idiot…

He saw the failed relationship between Dean and Seth as reason to not pursue his best friend. But the more he thought about it, he really did see The Architect as more than just a younger brother. Roman realized that he was madly in love with Seth but kept his distance because he was afraid that there was a chance that the younger male didn’t see him the same way. Thinking back on it, everything he did for his younger brother, Seth did the same for him. He only saw it as just Seth returning the favor, but he never entertained the idea that there could have been more to it. 

As it stood now, Roman was too late. He waited too long and another man came in and snatched Seth out from underneath him. A man who didn’t deserve the younger man one bit. The man took advantage of the broken state the brunet was and twisted it into something he desired. The image of Seth shattered and bruised was pushed to the forefront of his mind. He could no longer hold it together, Roman had finally cracked and, choked on the small sob he was holding in. 

Determined to comfort the Samoan, he pulled the car over to give the comfort Roman needed. He just let himself be soothed by the Irishman. Letting all out made him hope that he’d could clear his head and come up with a plan to rescue Seth.

**~~~***~~~**

Thanks to several detours (Finn got lost at some point), Roman had very little time to get checked into his hotel, and get a short work out in before arriving at the arena thirty minutes before their show. The Big Dog knew he was gonna catch hell from management for cutting it so close, the policy was no later than an hour before the show, but he didn’t care at the moment. He needed to let Seth know how he felt before the younger man could get hurt again.

But instead of finding Seth he ended up finding Bayley instead. She looked panicked and out of breath like she had been running recently. Finally stopping to catch her breath she explained she’d been looking for Roman. The Samoan placed his hands on her shoulders trying to help her so that Bayley could explain everything that she knew. If she had specifically been looking for him, he knew it had to do with Seth. He wanted to hear everything. 

“Roman, I was in the hall stretching and doing some last minute preparations when I heard some shouting at the end, followed by a loud smacking sound. When I went over to investigate I saw Jason and Seth around the corner, I thought they were just having an intimate moment. When I peak around a little more,” Bayley’s voice began to crack as she was trying to hold back a sob. As much as Roman really didn’t want to be kept in suspense but he could tell what she saw horrified her. “H--he hand his hand around Seth’s throat! I couldn’t hear what Jason was screaming about, but it sounded like Seth was begging him to stop. I saw his black eye and other bruises on his ribs. I was scared, and I knew I just had to find you.” Finally the dam had broke and the brunette woman was pouring tears that were trying to cling to her eyes. Roman reached out and pulled her into a tight hug to ease the burden of what she saw. Had he known that it was this bad, he wouldn’t have tried to get her involved.

The raven haired man could feel his rage beginning to over boil. He was starting to think he could care less about getting fired and could only see the red in front of him. But he knew he couldn’t let his emotions get the best of him. Where did everything go wrong? Jason seemed like such a nice kid, he was their general manager’s son! Innerly, he blamed their management for rushing their relationship and shoving them together. No, that couldn’t have been it. ‘

He felt like he should talk to someone about it. Perhapts Kurt, his father? Innerly Roman shook his his head. Kurt had only really know Jason was his son for only about a month or two. **“Think damn you! Seth’s life is on the line!”** Who could possibly know the other man more than his own father? He never had seen Jason really hang out with anyone but--he mentally facepalmed. His old tag team partner still on Smackdown Live, Chad Gable. Thankfully tomorrow was his day off, and the members of the blue brand were passing through town to get to their next house show. 

He and Bayley stood there for at least a good ten minutes as he formulated his plan. Finally he released her taking time to wipe her tears away with his thumb. “It’s alright. I’ll take care of this...I promise.” 

Her eyebrows furrowed. She wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or concerned. Although it was nice to hear that he’d handle things, the brunette hoped that he wouldn’t do anything reckless either. If Roman had gotten himself fired, he wouldn’t be able to help Seth. She took his hand in both of hers and held it close to her heart, like offering a silent prayer, “Be careful please, for yours and Seth’s sake.” Roman only nodded his head in response.

**~~~***~~~**

After his match Roman was surprised how willing Styles was to pick him up. According to the southerner he was traveling alone since his normal travel partner, Charlotte Flair, wanted to have a girl’s night out so he was traveling alone for the night. The Samoan was relieved that it wasn’t hard, also AJ made for good company. He hadn’t gone out of his way to seek out Jason and Seth again for the rest of the night knowing that he was still fuming from what he had heard before the show. The Architect was tough, and he only hoped he could hold out until he could get this situation under control.

The raven haired man knew he couldn’t get any more involved anymore than he should. He thought about going to the authorities or management but without actual proof Jason could easily lie about the whole thing. He needed to catch the Seth’s boyfriend in the act or could end up on the bad side of things. “Just hold on Seth…” he thought as he saw his ride arrive about an hour after the show had ended. 

Roman was glad that AJ came and got him. He wasn’t as quiet as his last few rides were and the two went on about one topic to the next. They talked about being the youngest in both their families, and he’d throw out the occasional question about Dean, which the Samoan snickered at every time. Everytime the Lunatic was brought up he could see AJ’s face turn beat red. It was no secret that Styles had a crush on his middle brother, but knowing Dean he’s oblivious to about everything around him outside of wrestling. Apparently AJ found that fact extremely adorable about Dean. 

Roman enjoyed that for the first time in nearly three weeks he could talk about something a little more light hearted. It allowed him more time to mentally prepare himself for his talk with Gable. He could only hope he could get the answers he sought. His mind drifted back to Seth again and again. 

“Hey AJ?” he started trying to figure out how to word his thoughts. “Are you in love with Dean?” the Samoan asked shakily. He knows this was similar to what he asked Finn, but Roman liked to get different perspectives from his friends. It was so hard to talk about his middle brother right now, especially knowing was the start of Seth’s break down. But he wasn’t upset with Dean, after all his brother didn’t choose to get injured.

AJ’s brows knotted. There was a short silence which meant he really was giving Roman’s question some thought. He chuckled as a large grin grew on his face. “Love is a strong word Roman. I’m attracted to Dean, there’s no doubt about it. After all if I wasn’t, I probably wouldn’t have fallen into bed with him those few times.” Roman’s face scrunched up, he didn’t want to think about Dean and AJ having sex. “The blue brand hasn’t been the same without the Lunatic, and everyone still there misses him...especially Becky. If I had more time to get to know Dean, I’m sure there’d have been something special there. Like I said I’m attracted to him, maybe even more than attracted. We just didn’t want to rush into anything. I’m sure if we did it would have ended terribly. I feel like when you like someone that much, you want to take it slow, to make it more meaningful.” 

Once again Roman felt really stupid…

The Samoan understood why everything happened the way it did. Dean and Seth didn’t work out because they charged too head on into it, and he was the one that egged them on to date. It was the same thing with Jason. Seth was already vulnerable and emotionally unstable, and Roman had just pushed him on without even asking if The Architect was ready. Seth was in the situation because of him, he did this to his best friend. “Tell me…” asked AJ interrupting his thoughts. “Are you in love with Seth?” 

Roman smiled. “Yes.” he said firmly. He wasn’t gonna deny it anymore. He was madly in love with Seth.

“Don’t hold back then. Let Seth know how you feel, even if he doesn’t reciprocate it’ll ease your mind. It’s why I don’t hold back in my emotions. Sometimes when I get mad in the ring...it’s only half of it is acting.” AJ and Roman both chuckled. Leave it to a man a few years older than him to tell him how it goes. It was the same when he had spoken to Finn. Being the oldest did have a few downfalls he guessed. Hanging out with only Seth and Dean and constantly looking out for them, he really didn't have anyone to look out for him. It was a comforting feeling. 

Being exhausted from both the show and the emotional talks, Roman found himself drifting off to sleep. His dreams were of his fondest memories of Seth, and how he cherished every single one of them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman pieces everything together...he could only hope he wasn't too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you're all aware I did edit the tags a little and will repeat that this chapter has another trigger warning. This chapter does contain **Implied non-con**...if that does make you uncomfortable but want to continue, you have been warned. 
> 
> This chapter is the last of this piece, and the epic conclusion. :o
> 
> Enjoy! :D

Seth woke up with a jolt. The sudden and hasty movement caused his ribs to ache. He let out a small groan. He had bruises there from the morning and on top of that Sheamus had hit him hard in the same spot. It was bad enough he had to wrestle in a shirt and feeling constricted in his movements, and now the pain just felt like insult to injury. 

The brunet peeled the loosely draped arm off his waist and sighed. Already he was fighting back the tears from the amount of physical and emotional pain he was in. Quietly and slowly he dragged his aching body to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror becoming quickly disgusted. There was the yellow bruise around his eye, the one just on his jawline, and then there were the smaller ones on his neck, all just one painful memory after the next. Still Seth fought back the tears. 

Carefully, he brushed the fresh bruises around his neck with the pads of his fingertips. He and Jason had been going over the details of the match to help move the story along with their rivalry The Bar. He was going one on one with Sheamus, with both their tag partners to manage them from the outside. The discussion was going fine when suddenly his boyfriend had snapped, quickly turning around and backhanding him in the side of the head. Stunned, he had felt Jason back him up against the wall and threw his hands around Seth’s neck. He hadn’t even realized what was happening until he started feeling the air from his lungs begin to fade away. The echoes of his pleas and cries burned through The Architect’s mind. 

Seth turned on the faucet and hovered his head over the sink to splash some water on his face. In reality he wanted to scrub his eyes clean of the image that lied before him: a hollow empty shell of the person he used to be. He looked down at his shaking hands, **“I deserve this. This is karma for everything that happened. I turned on my brothers...no amount of reunions or forgiveness will ever make up for what I did, and worst of all...I still couldn’t protect them.”** he thought to himself. After all the time, Seth regretted. 

Before his throughs could continue Seth found arms around his waist and a chin his shoulder. His heart suddenly sank into his stomach. Stricken with fear he hadn’t had the will or the energy to want to squirm out of the man’s grip. His whole body could only shake as he felt lips on his neck ravishing the sensitive areas. He closed his eyes trying to pretend it was someone else, anyone else, but his mind was so warped that all he could do was fear what should be a sweet gesture. 

“It’s time to come back to bed Seth.” said the darker skinned man both softly but with authority. That’s what his life had become. 

But Seth didn’t want to, if he had his way he’d be miles away from this man right now. “I’ll be back in a minute. I was in pain and couldn’t sleep, I wanted a breather,” explained Seth even more quietly and clearly shaken. He tried his hardest not to sound like he was defying his boyfriend, he just wanted to tell him the truth. 

It was obvious that Jason didn’t like the answer he was given. He took a strong grip of Seth’s hair and wrenched his head back forcing Seth to look at him with his neck bent at an awkward angle. “I told you to come back to bed.” Jason said again louder with more malice in his voice. Seth swallowed the lump in his throat, he knew what that voice ment. Tears were already prickling at the brunet’s eyes. 

Seth felt the grip on his hair grow tighter and his head suddenly slammed up against the wall leaving him dazed and barely conscious. He could hear faint and angry words from his boyfriend all at the same time being dragged by his hair back towards the bed. The last thing he felt during his half conscious state was being thrown back onto the bed, and his sleeping pants being hastily torn at. 

The tears that threatened his eyes finally poured out from his being…

**~~~***~~~**

Roman found himself laughing at the different comments being thrown about at him for being in the wrong locker room. On top of that he was being tormented by the New Day about how they were still bitter about losing at Survivor Series against The Shield. He knew of course it was all in good fun and they were just glad someone from the red brand came to check out how things were ran on Tuesdays nights. The Samoan felt a small spark of relief and happiness brought about to forget even just for a little while about everything going on with him on his own brand.

After taking time to get to know those who were new to the main roster, Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura, he caught up with Chad Gable as he was getting ready for his match. Surprisingly, the conversation went smoothly between the two as Roman asked him to meet up after the show to talk about Gable’s former tag partner. He could tell already something was severely wrong as the younger athlete’s expression became visibly livid after just mentioning him. The Samoan had already prepared himself for quite the earful. 

It was almost surreal that he felt like he was in the same situation on the last day he had seen Seth. He found himself waiting at another late night coffee shop. Roman sipped on his drink quietly ignoring the looks he was getting. From how they were staring and talking it was obvious that they were fans. He flashed them a quick wave leaving the two women a giggling mess as they exited the restaurant. He sighed, as much as he liked the attention and keep the fans smiling he wished it under other circumstances. 

Roman stood up as Chad approached the table. The two exchanged a friendly hand shake before sitting across one another in the booth. The Samoan let out another sigh, all his mind could do was flashback to his last encounter with Seth. The silence was thick around them as Roman tried to collect his thoughts. He couldn’t let out too much information, he was already taking up the other man’s time for his own personal investigation. 

Chad was first to break the silence. “You wanted to talk to me about Jason? I’m assuming this also has to do with Seth.” Roman simply nodded. That cut out a lot of the middle man and him trying to dodge around the heavier subjects. 

Roman looked down at his clasped hands on the table with his brows furrowed. “Why did American Alpha break up? Was it just because of Jason being Kurt’s son or was it because of something else?” The raven haired man innerly apologized to Chad not trying to bring up old wounds. 

The younger male looked intensely at the glass of water the waitress had placed in front of him. With the way his brows were furrowed he was obviously thinking hard about how to answer Roman’s question. He picked up the glass he was staring at and took a long drink from it. Just thinking about it left his throat dry. “Back in NXT, things were a lot different…” he started quietly. Finally his gaze returned to give Roman his full attention. “When we were in developmental, I was the one that used to get all nervous being out there and he was the incredibly confident one, but we carried one another’s weaknesses.” 

“I saw you guys in the tapings, you were both flowing...graceful even. I admit I was mesmerized. You guys were incredible.” Interjected the Samoan, giving the praise a genuine smile. Chad gave him a smirk with his words. 

“When we were called up to the main roster, suddenly things had changed. The larger crowds, the louder noises...suddenly he had become the one that was nervous wreck. I had to motivate him just to step out there every night. More and more Jason slowly became so closed off, even to me. I noticed our style began to slip, and our confidence begin to dwindle. Even after we won the belts, it felt like there was no recovery. He didn’t want to talk to me, or anyone...he wouldn’t listen. It was like he became overwhelmed in dark thoughts, and there was no reaching out to him. Every night we began to fight, and then we started staying in separate rooms. When the two of us finally came to blows, it was apparent to management it was time to seperate us, I didn’t think they’d stick us on opposite brands however. I still wanted to watch his back, like maybe somewhere there was the spark of the old Jason Jordan. I’ve been worried about him ever since they moved him...he’s got no one there to watch over him.” Chad had let out a huge sigh. It was obvious that he still saw Jason as a friend. 

However, Roman had begun to piece everything together. Jason didn’t just get violent because Seth was vulnerable...he already was because of the pressure he felt being moved up to the main roster. Without someone else there to help relieve the new added pressure from being lined up for a huge push it was suddenly like he had snapped, and the only thing he knew how to do was lash out. The older man nodded signaling to the younger athlete that he understood everything that had been laid out in front of him. 

He somewhat felt what the other man had gone through. After Dean’s injury it was hard to get Seth motivated as well. His younger brother didn’t want to risk hurting anyone else he cared for. Maybe what Jason saw in Seth was the same thing he saw in himself. He saw weakness in his younger brother. A weakness that he felt he couldn’t control. But when he saw he could have some control over Seth, that’s when the beatings began. He saw The Architect as a form of his own weakness that he wanted to be rid of. Roman understood everything now and the final piece of the puzzle was in place. 

Not only did Seth need saving, but Jason needed some sort of mental help as well…

The Big Dog cracked a smile through all the ongoing thoughts. “Thank you Chad,” he said reaching out to shake the younger man’s hand again. “You don’t know how much of a help you’ve been.” 

The younger male reached out to shake hands with him again, before leaning back into the booth. “Just tell me one last thing. Did something happen to Seth?” Roman suddenly froze. Well at least the kid had a good head on his shoulders and was trying to be honest. He didn’t think the younger athlete was stupid, he just wasn’t expecting him to figure it out so fast. The Samoan simply nodded, the tension between the two of them was thick again. 

“I’m not gonna ask you not to hurt Jason, because he more than likely deserves it if he really has been hurting Seth. So my only favor I ask of you is to not only help your friend, but help mine too. Beat some sense into him for me.” 

Roman could only stare at him blankly...did he just receive a blessing to beat the hell out of Jason?

**~~~***~~~**

The Big Dog spent the next day helping out Smackdown with their next house show since he was there. As a payment to helping him, he decided a fun tag match with Chad Gable would help put some eyes on the younger star. Once the show was over, he instantly headed back out to his own brand for their next show. Upon arriving he learned from the girls that Seth had missed yesterday’s and today’s shows due to a possible concussion.

He learned that Seth had been complaining about a headache and looked unsteady as he walked when he showed up at the arena. The trainers didn’t clear him to compete and it was the same thing today. Since it was Jason’s day off, he had accompanied Seth back to their hotel room and were back on a plane to somewhere. The girls were unsure if they went back to Seth or Jason’s home. Roman groaned having just missed them, and would have to wait until Sunday to catch them again. 

Throughout the day Roman had called Seth several times to see if he’d answer but it had gone ignored every time. He instead called Dean to see how his recovery had been so far, to ease his mind a little. He chucked that his middle brother complained his ear off for an hour about sitting around and not being able to do anything. But his sitting around meant that he was able to convince his crush from the blue brand to come and spend his days off with him. It brought warmth to him that his other brother was doing fine. 

After he was done with Dean he tried Seth one more time. This time he let it get to voicemail, if this was the closest he was gonna get to his best friend he’d take it. _“Seth, I know your boyfriend is the one not letting me talk to you. But there’s just something I need you to know. I want you to know that I know what Jason is doing to you and I want you to know that you have hope. I will come and get you Seth...I promise, because…”_ Roman paused to swallow the lump in his throat. _“I promise, because I love you.”_ With that he ended the call in hopes that his best friend would get the message. 

For the rest of the night Roman felt on auto-pilot. He just did everything in routine, and even his match felt robotic. Normally he was a ring general, but this time he just let his opponent make all the big calls and he just followed. He had been out of it for the whole day just lingering on the message he had sent to Seth just hoping that his best friend got it. 

Just as Roman was getting ready to meet up with Finn, his ride for the night, he saw his phone light up and vibrate. It was a text from Seth! The Samoan gave a sigh of relief as he unlocked his phone to read the message. It was short, more than likely typed out quick when Jason had his back turned. The words on the bright little screen he’d hold close to his heart until he could hold Seth with his own arms. _“I’ll be waiting.”_ Just as he was about to shove his phone in his pocket one more message popped up nearly bringing tears to the older man’s eyes. _“I love you too.”_

The Big Dog was suddenly filled with a burst of determination…

The Samoan met up with Finn, with Sasha and Bayley following behind him. Looks like they were all riding together and Roman would be their fourth and their driver. As soon as they all climbed into the large SUV, the Irishman in the passenger’s seat was the first to notice the large grin on the larger man’s face. “What’s gotten you in a good mood today?” he asked getting the girls’ attention on him too. 

Roman felt Sasha from behind Finn give him a smack on the shoulder. “I know that look! It’s the love sick puppy look!” she nearly squealed at the top of her lungs. “You gotta tell me Roman, who is it?” He tried to focus on the road in front of them that they hadn’t even begun driving yet, and trying to ignore the fact that Sasha was leaning in. He broke out in a cold sweat trying to distract himself in anyway he could, sadly there wasn’t much he could do in a car. “Yep! It’s that same goofy grin you have whenever you hang out with Seth!” shouted Sasha causing Roman to try and turn his head away from the rest everyone. 

Finn, Bayley, and Sasha only laughed at his feeble attempts to hide it. “Now just to get him away from that idiot and set him up with a real man.” Bayley and Roman suddenly froze giving Sasha a puzzling look. “What?” The two merely shook their heads as the Samoan finally started up the car and put them back on the road. Despite the awkward moment, the conversations kept flowing and the ride to the next town was lively. 

Although his thoughts were completely on Seth, he also knew that his best friend wouldn’t like it if he had cut himself off from everyone. Chad’s words began to rang heavy in his mind, just remembering everything that he had to say about Jason. It was another reason why he needed his friends to help escape the harsh reality, so that when it became time to finally come face to face with that asshole Seth called a boyfriend he wouldn’t be an emotional mess.

**~~~***~~~**

With the excitement of the New Year over it was time to settle back into the road to the grandest stage of them all, and that started at the Royal Rumble. But how could he? He needed Seth by his side first. Lately all his dreams for the last few nights have all been about his best friend and how he wanted to hold him close. He saw them getting together, going out on dates, even getting married (that idea was brought to him by Finn who mentioned they were married without actually being together).

God, Roman was in love…

He was saddened to hear that once more Seth wouldn’t be cleared to compete and would be given the manager role for Jason’s match tonight, he was thankful through hearsay that he’d be ready in time for the Royal Rumble. Still he hadn’t gone out of his way to actively look for Seth or Jason, knowing he was gonna do something stupid in front of management and co-workers. He’d intice Jason into coming to him, to make the other male make the first move. Roman won’t start the fight, but he sure as hell will end it. 

The Big Dog was on his way to catering and make some last minute preparations for the show--”Hey!” was a shout from behind him. Roman smirked, looks like Jason played right into his hands. He was surprised it wasn’t that hard. The Samoan didn’t turn his back but did walk a little slower in hopes to once more bring the younger male to him. “I’m talking to you!” he shouted again. Finally he stopped to give Jason his undivided attention. It didn’t take long for the darker skinned man to walk up and get in his face, that had Roman’s anger boiling but he kept in control of his emotions he couldn’t mess this up. “Who the hell do you think you are trying to make a move on _my boyfriend_?” 

His eyes twitched, but still remained calm. The emphasis Jason had put into those last few words was like a hammer on Roman’s head. It was like the younger male tried to stake some sort of claim on Seth, it disgusted him. The older man remained quiet and let Jason continue to get him all riled up. “Stay away from Seth if you know what’s good for you. I’m the only person he needs.” 

Roman raised an eyebrow, was this kid really threatening him right now? “Or…” he responded drawing the simple word out. Feeling ignored and talked down to, Jason had enough and finally snapped. He raised his arm to give Roman a wild left hook. But attack was sloppy, and uncordinated...he was controlled by his anger. He caught the arm aim at him with ease. 

He wouldn’t stoop down to Jason’s level. Roman wouldn’t do anything drastic without trying to reason with him first. Still he remembered everyone’s words, including the text from Seth. His best friend was being patient, he had hope that Roman would come for him. It sounded so corny in his head but that’s how the situation felt. He was saving his best friend from a madman. He gripped Jason’s wrist and twisted it behind him with his arm wrapped around his neck, just to hold him still. “Are you listening to what you’re saying? You’re treating Seth like he’s a possession! I know what it’s like to be under the pressure that you’re under, and I had even less time in developmental. Your former tag team partner told me everything...you need help Jason!”

“What the hell is going on here!?” screamed out a shrill and very angry voice. That caused both men to break out in a cold sweat and anyone who so happened to be passing by to freeze in place. Roman looked over Jason’s shoulder to see it was the one person he’d hoped to not see. Her long brunette hair, all black wear, and commanding posture made everyone obey wherever she walked, caused Roman to loosen his grip on the younger male. He almost felt like he was in luck, he wouldn’t have to hurt Jason anymore than he wanted, he just let darker skinned man struggle out of his grip. “I do not tolerate fighting in my locker room. I’m suspending both of you for the rest of the week.” 

“Yes ma’am.” said the two in unison. No matter who you were, you didn’t disobey Stephanie McMahon...especially when he was pissed. She had the power to absolutely humiliate someone without firing them. It was practically a miracle that she suspended them for just the week, Roman knew she was capable of more...perhaps she was feeling merciful. 

The two turned to walk their separate ways to collect their stuff. Once Jason was out of view he felt Stephanie’s hand touch his shoulder gently. “Oh and Roman, please use this week to make sure Seth gets proper rest.” He gave RAW commissioner a look of bewilderment. She was smiling at him despite being pissed off merely moments ago. He had almost forgotten that she too had a soft spot for Seth. He was almost as much a student of her as he was of Hunter. Roman smiled and gave her a thumbs up. Satisfied, she left the Samoan to his own devices...she really was feeling merciful, or was just as worried about Seth as he and his friends were.

**~~~***~~~**

Later on that night Roman was able to charm his way to letting the hotel receptionist tell him which room Seth and Jason were staying in. He was riding cloud nine knowing that he’d be getting to go home with the man he loves. He stood face to face with the door number he was given. He raised a hand to knock on the door when he heard shouting followed by agonizing screams from the other side. Somehow, Jason had beaten him back to the hotel!

He rolled his eyes and groaned, nothing could ever be easy could it. The Samoan knew he’d be paying the hotel a hefty sum for the damages he was about to cause but that wasn’t important right now. Roman was overcome with an overboiling rage to drive him even further. He put forth his entire body weight against the door to get it to budge but it didn’t move. He tried one more time finally being able to break the door open. 

Immediately he was disgusted by what he had seen. Jason had his hand on Seth’s throat with the color slowly fading away which meant that he had a very strong grip on it. His other hand was balled in a fist and was repeatedly punching The Architect over and over again. Seth’s ribs and hips were littered in bruises and the was sporting a very large one just under his eye where his boyfriend had been hitting him. 

All Roman saw was red, “You son of a bitch!” he screamed tackling Jason to the floor, because of the strong grip he had on Seth it sent him crashing down as well. There was no more holding back as the two rolled around on the floor swinging lefts and rights at one another connecting ever so often. “All Seth wanted to do was give you a chance! His heart! And--”

“Roman!” The Samoan was held in place hearing Seth’s voice. Not more needed to be said as he could hear the rest of whatever else the younger man had to say in his head. He didn’t want to stoop to Jason’s level but he did anyway. His best friend’s voice snapped him out of any murderous trance he was in. That was how much they knew one another, and that was how much Seth held his heart. He should be punishing Jason for everything he’s done, however no matter how much he wanted it...Seth didn’t and that was enough to get him to back off. 

He stood to completely back off, but that didn’t seem to sit well with the darker skinned male. Still Jason came at him. In one last attempt to get the younger man to back off Roman shoved him as hard as he could back causing him to crash down and the back of his neck hitting the desk on the other side of the small room, finally dazing him. Jason could only lie there holding the back of his neck groaning in excruciating pain. The Samoan turned his attentions to his best friend who only sat there with his back against the end of the bed holding his ribs. 

Inspecting Seth’s state made Roman want to shed some tears, the dam broke when his younger brother looked up at him with his large brown orbs and tears already being shed. He knelt down next to Seth gazing deeply and lovingly into the other man’s eyes before collecting him into his arms. The Architect molded into them perfectly resting his head on Roman’s shoulder. He held the younger man as close as he could burying his face in Seth’s hair. “God, I love you Seth.” he said slowly and quietly. Finally all his emotions were pouring out of him at the same time. 

He felt Seth lift his head to give him the same loving look. The Architect reached up and grabbed the back of Roman’s neck and crashed their lips together into a bruising but very needy kiss. Just like how Seth fit into his arms, so did their lips. 

"I love you too." The two kissed again, but this time less hurried and more intimate. Roman caressed Seth's cheek and even tilted his head to get better access as both men parted lips to let their tongues glide against one another. The feeling of the younger man's warm lips against his was heavenly, and made him feel transcendent. 

**~~~***~~~**

In the next week they’d come to found out that Jason had suffered a broken neck from his and Roman’s brawl. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to cut a deal with the brat to save all three of their careers. Jason wouldn’t rat out Roman for being the cause of his neck, but that meant he and Seth had to keep quiet about the domestic abuse. It was a victory that left a very bad taste in the mouth, and despite his new boyfriend’s consistent protest...he had to agree. He agreed for Seth’s sake. Roman wanted to do anything and everything that would keep Seth happy, and he knew that it was his long hard earned career that kept the younger man happy.

Every night since then Roman would hold Seth close until he had fallen asleep. It had taken a few months before The Architect trusted anyone being in the same bed as him completely. Roman respected his wishes and slept in a separate bed until Seth was comfortable again. He had been patient, and didn’t push for anything from him, he just let Seth set the pace of their new relationship. However, there was still this nagging feeling that something else happened between his now boyfriend and Jason, but if Seth didn’t want to talk about it he’d just wait. 

For now he’d let brunet enjoy his life again, and if there was one constant through everything there almost wasn’t a day that went by where Seth didn’t tell him he loved him. 

Jason hadn’t tried to contact them or anyone for that matter. They did learn that Chad Gable spoke up to management and told them the same story he had told Roman. The higher ups forced Jason to get therapeutic help while he recovered from his injury. 

Now here they were several months later…

Seth wasn’t completely recovered as he still had recurring nightmares of the dark moments in his life. Sadly, he didn't think he could ever completely recover...but he knew it would get easier. Eventually the two of them had begun to share a bed, and every night since then they'd asleep in one another’s arms. In the moments the nightmares would come back Roman would quietly help Seth through it. Some nights he went sleepless just so his boyfriend could sleep well, but it was worth it if Seth woke up smiling. 

Roman held a huge grin as he sat behind the curtain next to Dean giving his brother a huge hug. “Everyone’s gonna freak when they see the new you.” he commented still shocked himself to the auburn haired man’s new physique. The Samoan honestly thought Dean could probably match him in strength now, but he wouldn’t let that thought get free. He was the muscle of The Shield and didn’t want competition. “Welcome back brother,” said Roman patting The Lunatic on the shoulders after hearing Seth’s first vocal queue. 

“And since I know you’re gonna have the Scottish Psychopath in your corner at Summerslam..." Started Seth his voice echoing through the arena slowly getting the crowd rallied. "I oughta have a Lunatic in mine!”*

As soon as that Dean’s music hit he was through the curtain and took no time tearing things up the way he used to. He saw the large grin on Seth’s face in the meantime, he could tell for the first time in ages he could see that his boyfriend was having the time of his life as if their middle brother was never injured. 

As long as Seth was smiling, Roman was too.

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This quote is not of my creation and was taken directly from the Monday Night RAW episode from August 13, 2018 
> 
> And with that we have come to a close on this one. This was me diving into into some darker ideas, however of course the ideas portrayed in the fic don't reflect my actual opinions of the wrestlers themselves. I hope you all enjoyed this journey and I hope to entertain you all with another some time soon. 
> 
> Thanks for all your continued support! Love you all! :D


End file.
